June 26, 1730: The birth of Charles Messier

Charles Messier was born in Badonviller, France, on June 26, 1730, the 10th child of court bailiff Nicolas and his wife Françoise. His childhood interest in astronomy was stoked by Comet Klinkenberg-Chéseaux in 1744 and the solar eclipse of 1748, and in 1751 he moved to Paris to become an assistant at the Naval Observatory.Continue reading “June 26, 1730: The birth of Charles Messier”
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